Annan and Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon

Originally published March 9, 2005

The secretary general of the UN Kofi Annan said that UN resolution 1559 does not specify a certain schedule for the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, though it asks for this withdrawal to be complete.

Annan said, before he flew to Madrid and from there to Israel and the West Bank, that he can not get himself "involved in the date of the withdrawal." He added he will dispatch his envoy Terry Rod Larsen to Lebanon and Damascus to discuss complete and full withdrawal.

He added it will be possible after the meeting of Larsen with the Lebanese and Syrian leaderships how to react. Damascus had criticized UN resolution 1559 because it does not include a mechanism for execution, contrary to Taif agreement of 1989 on which Syria said it embarks on in its withdrawal.